


No One's Hero

by inoru_no_hoshi



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-02 01:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inoru_no_hoshi/pseuds/inoru_no_hoshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Staying away is easier than pretending he's living up to <em>anyone's</em> expectations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No One's Hero

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt _Author's Choice, any, once you stop the end of the world, people expect so much of you_ on [fic_promptly](http://fic-promptly.dreamwidth.org). That simple title, by the way, took me far, far longer to think of than this did to write. And be minimally beta-read. _Titles_. Hmph.
> 
> Cursory and much appreciated beta by [kamitsuki](http://kamitsuki.dreamwidth.org)! ♥

Tifa thought he spent so much time out on Fenrir, running errands for his delivery service, because he wanted something to do.

It wasn't that.

Well, it wasn't _only_ that.

It was that everyone knew him on sight; there weren't enough SOLDIERs around anymore that his sword and mako-bright eyes could be shrugged off as a coincidence, and enough people knew what he looked like that even attempting to pretend didn't - wouldn't - work.

And everywhere he went, people watched him. Watched how he moved, where he looked, who he talked - and didn't talk - to— It made him feel hunted, haunted, and judged, even if it was awe-inspired or worshipping. _Especially_ if it was.

They just all expected him to be more than he was, because he'd stopped Sephiroth. Most days, he just felt _tired_ ; certainly he never felt special just for doing what needed to be done.

So, he stayed out of the towns and cities as much as he could, and especially avoided Edge. 

It was easier than trying to pretend he wasn't failing to live up to the whole world's expectations.


End file.
